Nihilarian

You see, its because of the last 15 years that I can become emotionally detached at this point in the season simply for the reason that we all saw so many, many mistakes by this new coaching staff all year long. I mean WTF, it takes 8 games to get the penalties under control for two games, and then they rear their ugly head in a game that has a playoff ramification. The defense plays great for the first time in ten games, and finally puts great pressure on the opposing QB only to go back to what stunk for the first 9 games. The offense fails to have the QB throw over the middle or get the ball to their primary receiver for most of the season, and when they finally manage to do those things...the other bad things pop up again in penalties, bad defensive scheme. While others are so always filled by that Buffalo Bills eternal optimism. I'm now a wait and see type of guy. I don't feel bad for them because they have been suckered enough by Brandon to know better. The people I feel bad for are the Pegula's who were sold a goods by a snake charmer to the tune of 25 million over 5 years. In that sense I feel badly for all Bills fans that they are still having to endure another mess of a team, and for who knows how long. More years of missed playoffs ahead.

Yea, only four more years to go on Rex's contract. 2020 playoffs!

I'm not gonna complain, for the first half Taylor 14 of 26 for 236 yards, 2 TD's SAMMY 9 targets with 6 rec for 158 yards 2 TD's WOW!!

wow, Bills O finally using SAMMY like they should !

Exactly! The Bills haven't had a quality head coach since Marv Levy, Wade Phillips, and just because the team is paying Rex Ryan 5 mill per it doesn't make him a quality hire. However, if you look at Colin Kaepernick he started to stink while Roman was still the 49ers OC. So, while Greg Roman might have the ability to build an excellent running attack (provided he has the talent at RB, and on the line) he looks to leave something to be desired in the passing game. Why can't Tyrod Taylor throw more often to Sammy Watkins? That's like obtaining McCoy, and then handing the ball off most of the game to Boobie Dixon. Constantly using Watkins as a decoy is simply lame when you have a player with that much talent, and choose to throw to Chris Hogan more often instead. Also, why does Taylor have a problem throwing over the middle, or why is he avoiding doing it?

While I partially agree with that statement to a point because it does come down to evaluating the talent. It also comes down to finding the right guy to fit the system you are running, or for the most part the typical prototype pocket passing QB. Some teams want a west coast type, or one that can run the spread, pistol or option. Look what happened this year when you take a prolific pro in Peyton Manning and put him into a play action offense over his shotgun fast read scheme. It doesn't work very well, and can take time to learn to play differently. Its also important to pick the right GM first! Who then picks the right head coach, and if you don't have those two it really doesn't matter who you draft at QB because they probably won't succeed. An example might be Pagano vs Arians

I think everyone was expecting playoffs, and to have the #1 defense in the NFL. The latter has been the biggest letdown, and until this past week it looked so UN Rex Ryan like! Penalties were a huge problem until week 8! Will this trend continue or go back to ultra stupid? Special teams coverage units, and kick return units stink to high heaven. it took 10 games to fix the defense, and we don't know if that was an anomaly or will they continue to bring the heat? Sammy Watkins still not seeing the ball enough each game! what does it say about an offense that refuses to utilize a player that coast the team 3 draft picks, and two number ones? The starting QB won't throw over the middle So it looks like there could be lots of "fall guys" depending on how this team finishes the season. Currently the 5-5 Buffalo Bills after the loss to NE went from the 5th seed in the playoffs to the 8th seed, and out of the playoff picture behind (5th seed Pittsburgh 6-4) (6th seed KC 5-5)( 7th seed Houston 5-5). The Bills need to win a bunch of games to keep up with a red hot KC, and hot Houston. The Jets are also 5-5, and hot on their heals are the Jags, Phins, Raiders at 4-6. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/standings/playoffrace

Buffalo-will Taylor ever throw over the middle, and stay healthy? RT- QB-OLB Jets - Is Geno the answer, with a new coaching staff and GM who knows? OLB Denver Is QB Brock Osweiler the answer, who knows? 1-0 so far.OT Washington is Kirk Cousins the answer? QB Philadelphia is Sam Bradford the answer, and will Chip Kelly stay? OG New Orleans Will Sean Payton still be in NO next year, and if not will Drew Brees still be? CB St Louis is Nick Foles the answer with so many injuries? WR Six QB's ranked to go in the first or second round Paxton Lynch 1 Jared Goff 1 Connor Cook 1 Christian Hackenberg 2 Cason Wentz 2 Cardale Jones 2-3 http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2016/QB

Its usually the offense that takes so much longer to assimilate, as there are so many more plays to learn. Anyway, it wasn't so much the learning curve as it was the scheme, and that is so obvious in the difference between both the Patriots games. In the first game Ryan had his defense playing a soft cover scheme in which he had the DB's were playing ten yards off the line of scrimmage, and his DT's more involved in gap control then rushing the passer. Then the front four were also dropping back into pass coverage in a zone blitz type scheme. The defense didn't get hardly any pressure on Brady that entire game, and he scorched them for it. From that first game, Ryan's defensive game plan couldn't put pressure on Tom Brady-- the Bills disrupted (a sack, batted ball, passed defense or interception) only 9.8 percent of Brady's dropbacks, a lower rate than in any of the Bills' 2014 games -- and he never seemed to have an effective plan for stopping either Rob Gronkowski or Julian Edelman." http://espn.go.com/b...defensive-staff This last game even without Mario Williams the Bills were going after Brady so much more, and to the tune of...Brady was pressured (hit, sack, or duress) on 20 of his 40 drop backs Monday, his most in a game in the past 7 seasons!! This was the defense we were all expecting from Rex Ryan at the start of the year, and the only thing that changed between the games is the scheme that the team ran.

Damn right! Why did it take 10 games? This is what I've been talking about since that week two debacle when Ryan used a soft cover scheme instead of a heavy rush. The team also looks like it fixed the penalty problem that plagued the team for 8 games. Now, if they can only figure out a way to get Sammy 10+ touches a game! Have Tyrod Taylor start throwing over the middle! Get the special teams coverage & kick off / return units to start playing as well as the kickers.

I agree, and this is usually the byproduct of an undisclosed injury that the QB / team keeps quiet about. When Rodgers is fully healthy he is unstoppable, and the very best in the league. Perhaps he was injured in that Denver game. Losing to Detroit, and Chicago should have never happened. Jebus, 61 passes against Detroit, and only 18 rushes. How un packer like! That Packer run game is 17th in attempts, and 10th in yards which says to me to start running the ball a whole lot more to help set up the passing game, and take pressure away from Rodgers.

This! Arians was instrumental in Luck getting into the playoffs when he took over from Chuck Pagano in 2013, and one team was smart enough to sign him as their new HC the next year. Now mind you that next season the Cardinals finished 10-6 in the same division with the 13-3 Seahawks, and 12-4 49ers. Those Cardinals were also one of the three teams to beat the Seahawks that year. Lets also not forget that Carson Palmer only played in 6 games last year, and Drew Stanton started 8 games, Ryan Lindley (who?) started in two games. The Cards still managed to finish 11-5. Right now the Cardinals have the #1 offense in yards & Points, and are still good defensively (#14 yards points allowed) after losing Todd Bowles to the jets. It just shows you hire the right guy as HC and it can have an immediate positive impact no matter how good the other teams are in the division. I can see the 8-2 Cardinals in the SB this year, or 11-0 Carolina Panthers. Just sayin! OTOH, did the Bills hire the right guy in Ryan, and why did it take ten games to finally see his defense play like it should have from the start? Why did it take 9 games to get the penalty problem under control? Will the special teams coverage units & KR's ever start playing as well as the kickers? Can the starting QB stay healthy, and will we ever see him start throwing over the middle this year? Lastly, this team spent three draft picks on a super star WR, and then doesn't hardly throw to him game after game. Will we ever see Sammy Watkins ever get ten touches in a game? Coaching!

I don't envision any upcoming game as an easy game except for Dallas now that Romo is done. Both KC & Houston have a top ten defense so neither looks like it will be an easy game. It really all depends on which defense / QB shows up for every game. Will we see the defense that played the Patriots in week two or the one in week 10? Same with Taylor, and will we see the QB that played well against Patriots in the first game or the one against the Patriots in week 11. Will this team keep the penalties down to a survivable number? Will this offense ever get Sammy Watkins more involved in the offense? So many maybes, and If's Losing to NE the Bills slipped from the 5th seed to the 8th behind Pitt, KC, and Houston. Every game is a playoff game now.

he is broke, and looking for $$$

No, its not a fair comparison! But I did make the comparison of the Texans trio of scrubs at QB, and I think Taylor is better then any of those three. I don't know what the real reason is as to why Watkins is not seeing at least ten targets a game, and because the other guy is in single coverage should not be the reason. The primary focus of this teams passing game should be their best pass catching weapon, and it should be for at least 10 targets a game. They have had all off season, pre season, and 10 games to get in sync.

I just don't get why more Bills fans fail to see that every defense does that to the top receivers on other teams, and yet they usually still see many, many targets. Its just more excuses. This last game the Bills managed to take TE Rob Gronkowski completley away from Brady. So instead Brady went to Danny Amendola 12 times for 9 rec over 117 receiving yards. But you can bet the world that if Edleman was healthy he would have seen the majority of the targets regardless of the defensive coverage. I don't know if its as simple as looking off the primary receiver, and then getting the ball to him. Plus what we don't know is who the primary target is on each pass play. Still, it shouldn't matter when you have a player as explosive as Sammy Watkins you should make every effort to get him the ball all game long!! Then coverage be damned, because that is exactly what happens with players like Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins, Antonio Brown ect.

When you look at the Texans QB's in Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, TJ Yates and then consider their OC is George Godsey. Now come to the realization that Tyrod Taylor is probably better then those three combined, and yet basically ignores Sammy Watkins over Chris Hogan, Charles Clay almost every game like last years QB, and coaches did. Just look at what Houston manages to do each week with DeAndre Hopkins in making him the focal point of their passing attack. Hopkins is seeing 11 to 22 targets a game and because of that he is the #3 receiver in the league right now with 76 rec for 1045 yards, 9 TD's. I'll hazard a guess, and say that every Bills fan out there thinks Sammy Watkins has more potential then Hopkins. What we don't know is if this is Taylor being safe with the ball, and not throwing into tight coverage while trying to complete the "safe" passes. Or is this by the instruction of the coaching staff to just manage the game, and play if safe. Either way the Bills need to open up the offense like they did this week with the defense, and go for broke. Throw to Sammy at least 12 times, and see what happens

Ranting really? This team gives up three draft picks, and two of them first rounders then its OK for the coaches to use him as a decoy? How many other top WR's in the game see double, and even triple coverage's only to see the ball 10 plus times a game? Like all of them! Example: WR DeAndre Hopkins is the new version of Andre Johnson in Houston, and he sees that type of coverage every game with opposing defenses intent on stopping him. Yet he continues to put up astounding numbers every game with scrubs like Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, and TJ Yates at QB for Houston. The guy has had only three games this season for around 50 yards each, and guess what. Those are the games he had only 5-6 receptions. Hopkins is seeing at least 11+ targets every game, and in one game he saw 22 targets with 9 receptions for 157 yards! You get to see him first hand in two weeks when the Bills play the Texans in Buffalo. Not really sure who Ty;er is though. Anyway, read my second post as to why Tyrod Taylor might be avoiding Watkins like he has been doing.

While I can see the point of others in that Tyrod (perhaps the coaches are instructing this) wants to only take what the opposing defense gives him, and take the safe passes. While this might be the "game manager" QB the coaches want.. its not what always wins games. We all loved it when Fitz brought his gunslinger mentality to Buffalo over Mr safe check down Trent. Right now Sammy isn't even looking as good as 7th round pick Stevie Johnson as a WR simply because he isn't seeing the targets. Stevie saw at least 8 targets each game to hit those three 1000 yard seasons. This year Watkins has only seen 8 targets twice, and once was in the first NE game for 8 targets, 6 rec for 60 yards. The second time was against Miami with 8 targets for 8 rec for 168 yards, and one TD. Then, I honestly have no idea why it took ten games for Rex Ryan to finally get pressure on the opposing QB. The defensive game plan was brilliant this game vs the soft coverage defense of that first game. At this rate of coaching perhaps by week 16 we will see Watkins getting 10+ targets a game.

But, but he is so valuable as a decoy so that prolific receiver Chris Hogan can get the most targets. It is completely stupid to ignore the most explosive receiving play maker on both teams for three quarters of the game. If Brady had Watkins he would be seeing 15 targets a game, and probably putting up Julio Jones type numbers every game.

As far as Sammy Watkins is concerned I wonder if it would be wise for the Bills to hire a passing game coordinator, and let Roman setup the run game. The Dallas Cowboys has a similar situation a few years ago with their coaching staff. I have no idea why Watkins isn't even getting the targets he publicly asked for a few weeks ago, I mean if you throw the ball 35 times a game why not get the most explosive play maker on both teams the freaking ball ten times a game? Chris Hogan the leading receiver... really? Charles Clay the leading receiver against the Jets. Why the Fu*k did the Bills give up three draft picks, and two first rounders for a decoy? This would be like obtaining LeSean McCoy, and paying him 6 mill per then giving Dan Herron all the carries The coaches really expect to win with Chris Hogan getting more targets then Watkins?

I realize that Its just tough to cheer up when its that position that really needs a super star player. No question McCoy has been great, and even the defense stepped it up against the Patriots for the first time this season Ryan really brought the heat to the opposing QB. Although I have no idea why it took 10 games to get it done. This loss could have been a win with only average QB play, and now the Bills went from the 5th seed to the 8th behind KC, Pitt, Houston. Perhaps wins over KC & Houston will cheer me up

We all learned about what its like to have a limited QB in Fitz, and as other teams learn his limitations the more the losses rolled in. The Bills need that power pocket passer who can make every throw from the pocket, and then will actually throw them during a game.

Can he play QB?